rotation on Binary Tree

Last updated: August 19, 2025

Quick Overview

Given a binary tree, implement a function to rotate the tree to the right by a specified number of levels. The function should take the root of the binary tree and an integer k as input, and return the new root of the rotated tree. Ensure that the rotation is performed efficiently, maintaining the properties of the binary tree.

DE Shaw
Coding & Algorithms
Machine Learning Engineer
DE Shaw
August 19, 2025
Machine Learning Engineer
Technical Screen
Coding & Algorithms
Hard

7

5

2,924 solved


Given a binary tree, implement a function to rotate the tree to the right by a specified number of levels. The function should take the root of the binary tree and an integer k as input, and return the new root of the rotated tree. Ensure that the rotation is performed efficiently, maintaining the properties of the binary tree.

Coding interviews at DE Shaw focus on problem-solving approach as much as the final solution. The interviewer wants to see you break down the problem, consider edge cases, and optimize iteratively. Communication throughout the process is key.

What the Interviewer Expects
  • Quickly identify the optimal approach and its theoretical basis
  • Handle complex algorithm design with multiple interacting components
  • Write concise, elegant code under time pressure
  • Prove correctness of your approach and discuss alternative solutions
  • Optimize beyond the obvious: discuss constant factor improvements
  • Address follow-up variations and explain how the solution generalizes
Key Topics to Cover
Dynamic programming and memoization
Edge cases and input validation
Sorting and searching
Time and space complexity analysis
How to Approach This
  1. Clarify input constraints and edge cases before writing code.
  2. Walk through your approach verbally and confirm with the interviewer before coding.
  3. Start with a brute force solution, then optimize. Mention time and space complexity.
  4. Test your solution with examples, including edge cases like empty input or duplicates.
  5. Consider common patterns: sliding window, two pointers, hash map, BFS/DFS, dynamic programming.
Possible Follow-up Questions
  • How would you parallelize this solution?
  • Can you solve this in a single pass?
  • What happens if the input contains duplicates?
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Sample Answer
Problem Analysis

To solve the problem of rotating a binary tree to the right by a specified number of levels, we can utilize a depth-first search (DFS) approach to traverse the tree while keeping track of the height o...

Approach
  1. First, calculate the height of the binary tree. This will help us determine how many levels we can rotate.
  2. Normalize k to ensure it does not exceed the height of the tree. If k is greater than t...

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